Reviews by lookrider:

More User Reviews:

Pour ruby red and the smell of a sour tart cherry gets you first. The taste is good, rather simple, sour tart fruit, mostly cherry. Maybe a little spoiled with the sours lately but felt like I wanted more out if this. Still nice and simple and refreshing though. Good beer.

You know that funny feeling you get when you know you’re about to crack open a world class beer and the hairs on the back of your neck stand up? I’m getting that feeling with this Rodenbach Classic Flanders Red Ale, and it could be because their Grand Cru was a spectacular introduction to the style... or it could be that beer is like crack cocaine for me and I have a really, really bad addiction problem... I’m going with the former [yes indeed, good choice me] thanks me [you’re welcome me] you’re welcome yourself me... aaand so forth.

Poured from a 330ml bottle into a Duvel tulip - here’s a top tip: if you’re ever in doubt as to which glass to use with any given beer go with a Duvel tulip.

A: Cloudy red-tinged brown body with a tan head that soon reduces to a thin lace ring. Looks borderline Flanders Oud Bruin, but we’ll forgive it this one appearance transgression, not the poor head though; at 5.2% ABV there should be a head. 6/10.

S: Quite forward with a tart cherry/grape aroma. There are hints of wood from the oak and a light caramel malt base with some bread yeast, but overall the pervading sense is one of dry astringent tartness [I’m puckering my face in anticipation]. 8/10.

T: Once again Rodenbach did well to keep the tartness in check with this brew taking on more of a vinegary slant than the Grand Cru (which was more grape-aid). Notes of burnt caramel, wood and cherry are hinted to in the background... actually the burnt caramel is a bit more noticeable than the other background notes, you get the idea. Finishes quite dry and moreish like the Grand Cru, hmmm. 8/10.

M: Almost identical to the Grand Cru: mid to light body, hmm, slightly watery, with a nicely dense carbonation. 7/10.

D: Well there isn’t a great deal of separation between the Grand Cru and Classic bar that the Grand Cru is much more interesting and flavoursome. Don’t get me wrong [get me right!] Rodenbach Classic is a tasty Flanders Red, however one will instinctively draw comparison between Classic and Grand Cru and the latter nails it whilst the former is decent enough but not nearly as great. I will say one thing: Rodenbach Classic goes down very easy, but with the slightest challenge from the astringent aspects that you feel like you’ve glimpsed into the eyes of greatness, found a tart granny smith apple in a golden chalice, with some angels standing around it, and licked the juices dripping forth from the sacred receptacle... or something quasi-mystical along those lines. 9/10.

Food match: A selection of cheeses arranged on a platter would suffice.

Amazingly my first try of this beer its not a style I seek out much but this is a classic,poured into a large tulip glass a mix of brown a cherry red a light fluffy sticky light brownish colored head atop settling into a creamy-like mass leaving spotty lace.Big tart cherry in the nose with underlying vanilla and oak a iron not is present as well but its somewhat faint,somewhat spritzy mouthfeel light and drinkable.Starts out with a big tartness that wakes you up after that some toastiness and oak shows thru into the finish the puckering tartness is always there it never really totally leaves.A nice complex but refreshing beer it is a classic for a reason.

Appearance  This Red Ale is really more brown, but its a reddish kind of brown, if thats not pushing it too much. The head was modest and didnt stay around long, which is typical of the style so I wont hold that against this fella.

Smell  The nose is a moderate combination of sour, almost mashy kind of malts like from a sour mash whisky and some nice, sweet, sour fruits. I know I just used the word sour a few times but really its not that soury.

Taste  The sourness is laid back and not the kind that hurts your teeth. Im actually drinking this from a 750 ml and will have no problem draining this on my own. The fruits are mostly cherry and white grape and the malts are bigger than you usually find with the style. Its a nice combination conducive to a good sour session, helped along by the mixture of an oak-aged blend..

Mouthfeel  This falls short of medium-bodied by quite a bit. The carbonation is modest and a nice relief from other samples of the style. I mean, with the sourness of a FRA going on in your mouth a carb bomb is just a little much.

Drinkability  One of the more sessionable sour ales that Ive had. The obvious high quality of the ingredients makes this a pleasure to drink, and the 25% ale aged in oak infusion makes this a smooth drinker.

Nice crisp refreshing Flemish red. Smell is sour cherries and funk, taste again the sour fruit with a significant presence of cider vinegar. Not as sweet as some of the Flemish Reds, but that helps the drinkability considerably. I would consider this the perfect beer to match to some seafood (mussels, clams, ...) for lunch on a hot day. If at all possible I would recommend getting the 6 pack over the 750ml as this is the perfect afternoon beer to have one or two of on a nice day.

An interesting and unique brew. However to me, one youve got to be in the mood for and/or have an appropriate pairing. Clean, bright nose with hints of cherry. Taste is strong cherry, noticeable lime, a hint of sugar, and a nice tart dry finish. A nice balance of the tart/sweet that really makes the brew refreshing. Mouthfeel is weak. Too light, too craft soda like for me. Very reminiscent of a Stewarts Black Cherry soda. If in the mood, warm day, etc...a very nice beer, but not for all occasions by any means. That being said, well crafted no doubt.

A- Pours a brilliant dark brown fluid that shows firey red on the edges where light pass though it. Light off white head falls to a quarter inch froth on the top of the beer, random patchy lacing is noted.

S- Freshly tarted grapes, apples, and cherries upfront followed by rich sweet malts that come off as almost soapy and leathery in scents.

T-M- Taste is similar the smell in the aspect of the tarted fruit is now met with a sweeter light candied sugar mix up. Most notible is the Granny Smith apple flavors upfront with a quick bite of tartness followed by a sweet dry note of cherry. Mouthfeel is highly carbonated but I wouldn't have it any other way as it allows the beer to dance over the taste buts with ease.

Overall this is a winner as it is exceptionally drinkable and not overpowering but allows the avid beer drinker the enjoyment of a Flanders style at a session feel... CHEERS!!

This had a nice winey aroma with a good solid head when poured. It had a wonderful sour flavor in the Flemish style with hints of black cherries. I also taste some metallic hints, but did not detract from the flavor at all. This was very crisp & clean in the finish. Good carbonation led this to be very drinkable & quenching. I would definitely get this again, but the price makes it slightly prohibitive.

Clear mohogany body. Light tan, khaki colored 1.25" head that hangs around. Not much else to say, super nice looking, just what I would expect from this style.

Tart cherry and grape mainly. A bit of granny smith apple as well. Some cellar mustyness comes in as well. Taste is again tart and a bit sour, but not quite as tart as others I've had. Taste is tart cherries again. Some raspberries work their way in. Finishes with a bit of earthy flavors and some woody notes as well. Many of the secondary flavors after the tart fruit don't come out very well.

Seems to be a medium bodied brew. Tartness is only initial and then subsides. A bit of carbonation adds a refreshing edge to this. Very drinkable for the style.